Hippo Vaughn

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1921)

Hippo Vaughn was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1921 for the New York Yankees, the Washington Senators, and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 14 seasons. Across 390 career appearances, he went 178-137 with a 2.49 ERA and 1,416 strikeouts. He also batted .173 with 3 home runs. Hippo Vaughn was a Pitching Triple Crown. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 27687.6.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

W–L 178–137
ERA 2.49
WHIP 1.20
SO 1,416
Pitcher PIV 27687.6
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
B / L
Height / Weight
6'4" / 215 lb
Born
4/9/1888 in Weatherford, TX, USA
Died
5/29/1966 in Chicago, IL, USA
MLB Debut
1908-06-19
Last Game
1921-07-09
Awards
Pitching Triple Crown

Full name: James Leslie Vaughn

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Pitching Statistics

Hippo Vaughn — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
178 137 390 331 215 41 5 2730.0 2,461 754 39 817 1,416 2.49 27687.6

Career ERA 2.49 vs. league average 3.06 across their career seasons — 18.7% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Hippo Vaughn Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1908 NYA AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.1 1 1 4 2 3.86 — 0.0
1910 NYA AL 13 11 30 25 18 5 1 221.2 190 45 58 107 1.83 2.79 (+34%) 2467.9
1911 NYA AL 8 10 26 18 11 0 0 145.2 158 71 54 74 4.39 3.37 (-30%) 578.9
1912 NYA AL 2 8 15 10 5 1 0 63.0 66 36 37 46 5.14 3.36 (-53%) -96.4
1912 WS1 AL 4 3 12 8 4 0 0 81.0 75 26 43 49 2.89 3.36 (+14%) -73.9
1913 CHN NL 5 1 7 6 5 2 0 56.0 37 9 27 36 1.45 3.07 (+53%) 294.7
1914 CHN NL 21 13 42 35 23 4 1 293.2 236 67 109 165 2.05 2.93 (+30%) 2752.7
1915 CHN NL 20 12 41 34 18 4 1 269.2 240 86 77 148 2.87 2.90 (+1%) 2906.2
1916 CHN NL 17 15 44 35 21 4 1 294.0 269 72 67 144 2.20 2.78 (+21%) 3562.3
1917 CHN NL 23 13 41 38 27 5 0 295.2 255 66 91 195 2.01 2.69 (+25%) 4599.3
1918 CHN NL 22 10 35 33 27 8 0 290.1 216 56 76 148 1.74 2.83 (+39%) 4026.3
1919 CHN NL 21 14 38 37 25 4 1 306.2 264 61 62 141 1.79 3.09 (+42%) 5812.1
1920 CHN NL 19 16 40 38 24 4 0 301.0 301 85 81 131 2.54 3.45 (+26%) 2322.1
1921 CHN NL 3 11 17 14 7 0 0 109.1 153 73 31 30 6.01 4.02 (-49%) -1464.8
Career · 14 seasons 178 137 390 331 215 41 5 2,730.0 2,461 754 817 1,416 2.49 — 27,688

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Hippo Vaughn — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
392 921 81 159 25 6 3 61 12 68 285 .173 .232 .223 .454 -3,739

Career AVG .173 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 33.4% below league average.

Career OBP .232 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 28.3% below league average.

Career SLG .223 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 35.1% below league average.

Career OPS .454 vs. league average .666 across their career seasons — 31.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Hippo Vaughn Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1908 NYA AL 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1910 NYA AL 30 75 6 10 1 0 0 4 1 7 23 .133 .249 (-47%) .317 (-35%) .326 (-55%) .644 (-45%) -480.6
1911 NYA AL 26 49 4 7 1 0 0 3 1 9 20 .143 — — — — -255.6
1912 NYA AL 15 21 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 .095 — — — — 0.0
1912 WS1 AL 12 30 2 6 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 .200 — — — — 0.0
1913 CHN NL 7 21 3 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 .190 — — — — 0.0
1914 CHN NL 42 97 10 14 3 1 1 3 2 5 33 .144 .255 (-43%) .322 (-42%) .339 (-33%) .661 (-38%) -564.7
1915 CHN NL 43 86 8 14 3 0 0 9 3 7 27 .163 .250 (-35%) .318 (-24%) .332 (-41%) .651 (-32%) -395.0
1916 CHN NL 44 104 4 14 1 1 0 7 0 3 46 .135 .248 (-46%) .314 (-49%) .326 (-50%) .640 (-50%) -757.0
1917 CHN NL 41 100 7 16 2 1 0 6 1 9 33 .160 .248 (-36%) .312 (-27%) .323 (-38%) .635 (-32%) -461.0
1918 CHN NL 35 96 13 23 3 2 0 8 4 6 21 .240 .255 (-6%) .318 (-11%) .326 (-4%) .645 (-8%) -127.2
1919 CHN NL 38 98 5 17 4 0 0 2 0 8 27 .173 .262 (-34%) .322 (-27%) .347 (-38%) .670 (-33%) -478.8
1920 CHN NL 40 102 14 22 3 1 1 12 0 12 23 .216 .271 (-21%) .331 (-10%) .363 (-19%) .694 (-15%) -219.4
1921 CHN NL 17 41 2 10 2 0 1 5 0 2 12 .244 — — — — 0.0
Career · 14 seasons 392 921 81 159 25 6 3 61 12 68 285 .173 — — — — -3,739

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Hippo Vaughn — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Hippo Vaughn — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1918 WS CHN 3 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Hippo Vaughn — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 2 3 3 0 27.0 17 3 5 17 1.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Hippo Vaughn — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1918 WS CHN 1 2 3 3 0 27.0 17 3 5 17 1.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (782 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Hippo Vaughn — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home2084714880134.170
Away1844503379230.176

Pitching — Home / Away

Hippo Vaughn — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home2061477.013204084378042.49
Away1841248.011423543696122.55

Last 10 Games — Batting

Hippo Vaughn — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1921-07-09 CHCNY1L 200000000
1921-07-02 CHCSTLL 302100000
1921-06-27 CHCPITL 200000000
1921-06-22 CHCSTLW 411001103
1921-06-19 CHCNY1L 000000000
1921-06-15 CHCNY1L 500000002
1921-06-12 CHCBSNL 000000100
1921-06-08 CHCPHIL 000000000
1921-06-05 CHCBROL 000000000
1921-05-31 CHCPITW 402000101

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Hippo Vaughn — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1921-07-09 CHCNY1 L 3.1666212
1921-07-02 CHCSTL L 9.0732001
1921-06-27 CHCPIT L 7.0964220
1921-06-22 CHCSTL W 9.01233230
1921-06-19 CHCNY1 L 0.1674000
1921-06-15 CHCNY1 L 12.01465630
1921-06-12 CHCBSN L 2.0433021
1921-06-08 CHCPHI — 1.0430020
1921-06-05 CHCBRO L 2.2744100
1921-05-31 CHCPIT — 10.01465510

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Hippo Vaughn — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 390 25 92 740 74 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Hippo Vaughn — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1908 NYA P 2 0 0 2 0 0
1910 NYA P 30 25 5 73 8 2
1911 NYA P 26 0 9 41 4 1
1912 NYA P 15 0 4 22 3 0
1912 WS1 P 12 0 1 31 1 0
1913 CHN P 7 0 3 13 2 1
1914 CHN P 42 0 11 75 13 1
1915 CHN P 41 0 5 70 8 1
1916 CHN P 44 0 6 82 4 0
1917 CHN P 41 0 14 89 7 2
1918 CHN P 35 0 14 73 3 2
1919 CHN P 38 0 10 74 9 3
1920 CHN P 40 0 9 71 10 4
1921 CHN P 17 0 1 24 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Hippo Vaughn Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 390

Awards & Honors

Hippo Vaughn — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1919 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1919 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1918 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1918 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1918 Pitching Triple Crown

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Hippo Vaughn (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Mel Stottlemyre
    164-139, 2.97 ERA
  2. 97
    Jack Chesbro HOF
    198-132, 2.68 ERA
  3. 96
    Bill Donovan
    185-139, 2.69 ERA
  4. 90
    Cy Falkenberg
    130-123, 2.68 ERA
  5. 89
    Frank Smith
    139-111, 2.59 ERA
  6. 89
    Nap Rucker
    134-134, 2.42 ERA

Hippo Vaughn: the record in brief

The profile opens with Hippo Vaughn's first major league game on June 19, 1908; the last one listed came on July 9, 1921. By club, Vaughn's seasons break down as the New York Highlanders (1908 to 1912), the Washington Senators (1912), and the Chicago Cubs (1913 through 1921). Vaughn is listed as a pitcher at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. Vaughn batted from both sides and threw left-handed, per the bio block. Vaughn was born on April 9, 1888, in Weatherford, TX, USA. Vaughn's death is recorded on May 29, 1966, in Chicago, IL, USA. Hippo Vaughn was the playing name; the full given name is James Leslie.

Across 390 games (331 starts), Vaughn recorded 178 wins against 137 losses with a 2.49 ERA. Also on Vaughn's record: 1,416 strikeouts, 215 complete games, and 41 shutouts. That 2.49 ERA compares with a 3.06 league average across the same seasons, 18.7% better. Vaughn won 23 games in 1917, the most of any season listed.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hippo Vaughn

What years did Hippo Vaughn play?
Hippo Vaughn played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1921.
Was Hippo Vaughn a pitcher?
Yes. Hippo Vaughn pitched in the major leagues, recording 178 wins and 1416 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Hippo Vaughn hit?
Hippo Vaughn hit 3 career home runs with 159 hits.
What teams did Hippo Vaughn play for?
Hippo Vaughn played for 3 teams: the New York Highlanders (1908, 1910–1912), the Washington Senators (1912), and the Chicago Cubs (1913–1921).
What awards did Hippo Vaughn win?
Hippo Vaughn won the pitching Triple Crown (1918).
What were Hippo Vaughn's career stats?
In 390 games, Hippo Vaughn went 178-137 with a 2.49 ERA, 1,416 strikeouts, 2,730.0 innings pitched, and 5 saves. At the plate he had 159 hits and 3 home runs.
What position did Hippo Vaughn play?
Hippo Vaughn played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Hippo Vaughn and how much did he weigh?
Hippo Vaughn was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 215 pounds.
What was Hippo Vaughn's career ERA?
Hippo Vaughn finished with a 2.49 career ERA, going 178-137 with 1,416 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Hippo Vaughn have?
Hippo Vaughn recorded 1,416 career strikeouts.
Is Hippo Vaughn in the Hall of Fame?
No. Hippo Vaughn has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.